Digital Propaganda in Autocratized Southeast Asia

Influence Operations (IO) are large-scale, covert efforts by state and non-state actors to sway public opinion, strategically disseminate disinformation, and manipulate behaviors in targeted populations. These actors often leverage “wedge issues” to deepen social and political divides, exploiting social media algorithms to amplify messages and increase campaigns’ reach. With a high number of active social media user, Southeast Asia has seen a significant rise in IO campaigns funded by both state and private entities. These campaigns are often driven by hired trolls, cyber troops, and political influencers. While the detrimental effects of malign IOs on democratic institutions and social cohesion in Europe and the US have been extensively studied, research on IOs in Southeast Asia remains nascent. Existing analyses examine IO in contexts such as elections, mass mobilization, state suppression of dissent, and ethnic tensions. Recent studies have also shed light on foreign influence operations aimed at shaping domestic opinions on international conflicts and foreign policy.
This panel brings together researchers from Southeast Asia who have examined IOs in the context of electoral processes and political polarization. Beyond analyzing patterns of IOs, the panel focuses on their role in autocratization processes across four Southeast Asian countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Panelists will explore the impacts of IOs on information integrity, the vibrancy of civil society, check and balance mechanisms, and efforts to resist malign influence in each country. The panel ultimately seeks to compare similarities and differences among the four countries and uncover factors driving these dynamics.